The present invention relates to exercise equipment, in particular that equipment used in agility training.
In recent years, many people have realized the importance of exercising to maintain good health. While many traditional exercises can greatly benefit a person, traditional exercises often fail to develop certain muscles or certain groups of muscles. In particular, traditional exercise devices often fail to provide exercise for many of the less prominent muscles. Furthermore, certain traditional exercises fail to significantly enhance balance or other coordination skills.
A good workout can provide exercise and strengthening of the core muscles in the body, including muscles in the abdominal, gluteus, and central regions of the body. Exercise devices and exercise training programs have been developed to fulfill the need for a more complete body workout, including a workout related to the core muscles. Full body training devices often have a weight system or other type of resistance system that uses a number of cables, pulleys, and benches. However, these full body trainers are often bulky and often have intricate parts that make them expensive to buy, inconvenient to store, and difficult to use.
Recently, balancing devices have been developed that are capable of strengthening the core muscles while simultaneously training the user to balance. Some of these devices, among others, have a platform mounted on a rounded chamber. The user stands on the platform or chamber and performs exercises. Cords connected to the base of the balancing device provide resistance for performing exercises such as arm curls.
Exercising on such a balancing device can develop balancing skills, coordination skills, and core muscles. In particular, devices that use an inflatable bladder require an additional element of balance because as the user applies force to one foot, the bladder flexes and transfers some of that force to the other foot.
Other balancing/exercise devices have been developed for recreation and/or exercise that provide an unstable surface on which an individual balances. One such type of device provides an unstable surface through the use of a cylinder that is free to roll on the ground. A board is placed on top of the cylinder and balance is tested as an individual stands on top of the board and attempts to prevent either of the opposing ends of the board from touching the ground. While this balancing device provides an unstable surface, movement of the board is limited to a side-to-side motion.
Another type of balancing device that provides an unstable surface on which to test balance includes a board that pivots about a vertical fulcrum that is connected to a base, which remains stationary on the ground. Balance is tested as an individual stands on top of the board and attempts to prevent any portion of the board from touching any portion of the base. Such balancing devices may allow an individual to increase or decrease the angle along which the board is allowed to pivot prior to touching the base. However, an adjustment mechanism that modifies the pivot angle of the board generally requires the board to be raised or lowered.
Platform “wobble boards” and “rocker boards” are used to develop muscle strength, endurance, coordination and improve balance by training the nervous system and improving muscular responses to perturbed or unstable joint positions. The novice or unfit user may start using the device for range of motion control in a seated or non-weight bearing position. As the user becomes proficient in controlling the rocking motion of the platform in different planes (front/back, right/left oblique angles etc.), the attachment can achieve wobble movements in all directions (360°).
To be effective the device must have a degree of instability that provokes a quick muscle response. The device is intended to be useful for beginners all the way up to highly athletic individuals due to the inherent versatility of the device and options for increasing the difficulty level. For instance, the user may make the task more difficult or challenging by standing on one foot at a time and/or by closing the eyes.
It has proven useful to increase the difficulty level as proficiency is obtained which has previously required multiple devices. Each device is often costly but required by the user if they desire to improve beyond certain introductory levels. Additionally, the devices are cumbersome to travel with such as taking them to an exercise facility or on vacation. The devices also require storage space in the user's home which is often at a premium.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,983 teaches an inflatable device that can be used for physical therapy, conditioning or training. The device has a support platform and a flexible member. The flexible member is affixed to, and has a bowl-shaped distention projecting from, one side of the platform. This flexible member is inflatable to a pressure for supporting a person. The device is inflated before placing at least some of the weight of a person on the device. When the person wishes to later change the characteristics of the device, the pressure in the inflatable device can be changed to change its stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,753 teaches a balancing device that has a base and an inflatable flexible portion wherein the center of the inflatable portion is higher than the edges. The device is used by placing the base on the floor and standing and moving on the bladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,676 teaches an inflatable elastic exercising device that includes a deflatable collapsible elastic body and a base seat composed of assembled outer frames and reinforcing boards. The elastic body is formed with a fixing flange. The thickness of the fixing flange plus the thickness of the reinforcing board is just the height of a restricting channel of the outer frame, so that the reinforcing boards and the elastic body can be firmly fixed and enclosed by the outer frames. A user can stably and safely stand on it for doing balance exercise. After the elastic body is deflated and collapsed and the reinforcing boards and the outer frames are disassembled and stacked, it can be stored in a narrow space and conveniently transported.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,030 teaches an angle-adjustable exerciser that comprises a base, an adjustment disk set and a support plate. The base attaches to a spherical cast piece on top and a plate with large surface at bottom. At the periphery of the spherical cast piece, there is an adjustment disk set composed of the first disk, the second disk and a few screws. At center of the first and second disks, there are holes for the disks to install at the periphery of the cast piece. At the corresponding position, there are several through holes at the first and second disks, so the disks can be connected by at least two positioning screws. The distance between the disks is maintained by positioning screws. Another through hole is for an adjustable screw to tighten or loosen the disks. This is also to adjust the declined angle for the adjustment disk set on the spherical cast piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,920 teaches a balancing board allowing for selection of a desired degree of stability. The balancing board has a platform and a hemispherical fulcrum slidably mounted to platform and bifurcated into a pair of pivot members. Each pivot member is independently positionable along an underside of the platform opposite of an engagement surface upon which a user positions themselves to practice balancing training techniques. When the pivot members are slid together, the balancing board is freely pivotable about any axis in the plane of the surface on which the pivot members are resting. Conversely, when the pivot members are spaced apart from each other, the balancing board resists pivoting in a direction aligned with the axis along which the pivot members are slidable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,168 teaches balancing equipment that provides a selectively dynamic platform for an individual thereon. The weight and movement of the individual causes the platform to tilt in any direction, thereby attempting to throw off the balance of the individual, causing the individual to work on maintaining balance while on the dynamic platform. The dynamic nature of the platform can be adjusted to correspond to the balancing abilities of individuals. An adjustment mechanism increases or reduces the amount the platform is able to tilt, without requiring the raising or lowering of any component of the platform. An exercise mechanism can also be connected to the platform to further modify the dynamic nature of the platform.
US Publication 20070207906 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,055, teach a balance and exercise apparatus comprising a base member supported on an underlying stratum, pivoting member positioned on a base member, and a body support member positioned on top of the pivot member, the body support member secured to the base member by a combination of a plurality of resilient tension cords and non-resilient cinch strap thus allowing the user to either stand, lie or sit on the body support member and cause the body support member to selectively tilt from a horizontal plane about 360 degrees of orientation.
International Publication WO/2003/088887 teaches a proactive machine that is used for assessing and improving a user's proprioception. The machine has a tilting platform upon which the user stands, a non-rotating tilting means connected to the platform for tilting the platform along a first axis and along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a control means for controlling the tilting means.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,885 and International Publication WO/2001/024887 teach an inflatable device that can be used for physical therapy, conditioning or training. The device has a support platform and a flexible member. The flexible member is attached or affixed to, and has a bowl-shaped distension projecting from one side of, the platform. This flexible member is inflatable to a pressure for supporting a person. The device is inflated in order to support at least some of the weight of a person by compressing the inflatable device at or adjacent to its center. When the person wishes to later change the characteristics of the device, the pressure in the inflatable device can be changed to change its stability.
The current invention employs a top platform on a semi-spherical inflatable support, which rests on a base. The top platform and base are connected using a set of restraining straps. The use of a semi-sphere allows the desired movement that a sphere would provide, but with greater stability to the user.
The present invention encompasses many of the advantages described in the prior art, but also has advantages that the prior art lacks. For instance, in addition to improving balance, coordination, and reflexes, the Agility Device provides two-fold muscle toning function. The use of this product, whether for exercise or balance training, will force both to take place. If a user employs the product for exercise purposes, the intrinsic nature of the device will force the user to focus on and improve their balance and related skills. Alternatively, if the user employs the unit for balance improvement, the sudden shifts in body weight and position caused by motions required for the control of balance will force certain muscle groups to work and will result in exercise and muscle toning.
In addition to exercise and the improvement of balance, coordination and reflexes, the Agility Device may be used for entertainment. For example, with the integration of sensors and transmitters, the Agility Device could be used in conjunction with a gaming system. A user's location, movement, and actions could be measured, read, interpreted, and transmitted to an interactive game on any electronic device, including but not limited to, hand-held devices such as I-Pods, cellular phones or Nintendo DS systems, stationary devices such as Nintendos, X-Boxes or Play Stations, or any device of the user's choice.
One activity that lends itself to this function is dancing, either for general exercise, muscle strengthening, training, or for fun. In addition, multiple users in different physical locations could interact through linked electronic devices to stage contests, synchronized exercise, etc. Other sports/activities that the Agility Device is effective in training for include, but are not limited to, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, any roller sport (such as roller blading), ice skating, or any sport where balance is key to the function.
The Agility Device could be used in exercise classes, either as part of a routine or as an entire work-out session. It could also be used in classes similar to “spinning” classes, where instead of the traditional bicycle being ridden to a video of bike trails, the Agility Device is used to simulate sports and situations such as, but not limited to, skiing down a mountain, surfing on an ocean, or ice skating on a lake, by employing the device while viewing the appropriate video. It could also be used conjunction with virtual reality games.
One advantage of the present invention is the allowance for an interchangeable top platform for various uses, exercises, or positions. For instance, one configuration may include, but not be limited to, a contour that resembles a saddle to simulate riding an animal. Another embodiment of the top platform may include, but not be limited to, different textures or contours on each side for differing uses, exercises or positions.
An additional embodiment may include, but not be limited to, the addition of a recessed area in the top platform. The recessed area could be empty or could contain an insert such as, but not limited to, foam or non-slip material to cushion the user during use and absorb some force as well as act as an anti-slip surface. The insert could contain a logo, other promotional language or image, or any language or image desired, such as a person's name or other item. The recessed area also has the advantage, with or without the insert, of acting as a boundary through the raised edge of its perimeter. This boundary may prevent the user from accidentally sliding or slipping off of the device.
Another advantage, of particular use to beginners or users who are conducting exercises with the device for rehabilitation purposes, is the addition of handles that can move or can be made stationary. The handles allow for a safer and more stable mount and dismount, as well as adding a feature that helps maintain balance during use. The handles may lock into place or may be moveable to allow for upper body exercise while using the device. The handles could be moved while exercising the lower body, or the user could stand with the legs stationary and use the handles alone for upper body exercise, for instance while resting the legs between sets of lower body exercise.
The addition of stationary handles (handles in the ‘locked’ position) to the agility device is a major advantage over many of the devices described in the prior art, particularly for users with poor balance skills. The use of handles facilitates achieving the desired skill improvement yet reduces the potential for injuries that can occur from falling while exercising with the device. As the skill level builds, the user can unlock the handles and use them for upper body exercise as desired. As the skill level continues to build, the user can use the device without handles if desired.
The agility device employs a stabilized inflatable support that can be inflated to any desired firmness. This allows the level of intensity of the exercise to be varied according to the user's desire, by adjusting the inflation volume of the support. Thus, when a person who is unskilled in using the device wishes to exercise, they may inflate the support to a differing degree than the skilled athlete would. The fill volume of the support can be modified as the user's skill level increases. Additionally, a gauge may be added to provide measurement of the degree of fill for tracking purposes.
Other advantages include the addition of expandable base supports, so the device base is more likely to stay stationary while the user is moving on the agility device. This also allows a greater range of motion on the top platform and adds to the safety of the device, particularly for novices. For the nervous beginner, the addition of the expandable base supports also aids a feeling of stability.
Ease of operation and storage are additional advantages of the agility device. The agility device can be manufactured with an integral pump that can be used manually or electronically to easily inflate and deflate the stabilized inflatable support. Alternatively, the pump can be removable, but can easily be stored with the device due to a pump storage cavity in the base of the device.
The stabilized inflatable support portion of the device can be fused into the base for stability, and for ease of transport and storage. The support can be deflated entirely and the handles can be made to fold around the base of the agility device, thus forming a compact cylinder that can be stored in a small space and transported easily.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.